


Underneath the Surface

by LifeInWentworth



Category: Wentworth - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-06
Updated: 2013-12-06
Packaged: 2018-01-03 15:52:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1072328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LifeInWentworth/pseuds/LifeInWentworth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>FrankyErica prompt-Franky opening up to Erica about life in prison. What it was really like for her underneath the tough persona.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Underneath the Surface

Franky was tossing and turning, as usual. She had never been a peaceful sleeper, but since she got out of wentworth it seemed to be worse; the result constant bags under her eyes. A sound something between a groan and a whimper escaped her throat and Erica sighed, shaking the other woman gently, then more roughly to wake her up. Franky woke up with a sharp intake of breath and punched the pillow.  
“Sorry,” she said, crashing her head back on the pillow, eyes staring at the ceiling.  
“Don’t apologise,” Erica said, playing with the hair stuck by sweat the Franky’s forehead, “I thought the nightmares had stopped,” she murmured.  
Franky shrugged, “They never really stop. I should go and sleep on the couch,” she sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.  
“No,” Erica grabbed her hand, “Don’t.”  
“I don’t want to keep you up,” Franky replied, the guilt obvious in her eyes.  
Erica shrugged, “I don’t want to sleep without you. We waited ages for this, Franky, there’s no way I’m kicking you out of bed now,” she smiled and tugged at Franky’s hand. Franky smiled back and climbed back into bed. Erica hesitated, “Do you want to talk about – “  
Franky shook her head, “No,” she said, closing her eyes.  
Erica didn’t know what she had expected; Franky never liked to talk about wentworth, especially in relation to the nightmares that kept her awake at night. The governor was left only to guess what was going through Franky’s head. Of course, it frustrated her but she’d grown used to being patient with the younger woman.  
Erica awoke slowly at first, until she put a hand out to reach for Franky and she wasn’t there. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, sitting up and glancing at the clock; it was only 5.30. She yawned and climbed out of the bed, shivering and pulling her dressing gown on as she headed to the couch.

Franky was tired, but she was sick of the nightmares. She’d never been keen on sleep; you couldn’t control anything when you slept, but she’d hoped it would be a more pleasant experience when she’d got out of prison. She startled slightly when she felt Erica’s hand in her hair, she opened her eyes. Erica was next to her on her knee’s and moved her hand to her face.  
“I told you not to sleep out here,” Erica whispered.  
Franky swallowed and shrugged, “More nightmares,” she admitted in a mutter.  
Erica bit her tongue for a moment, but sometimes people just needed a push, right? “Why won’t you talk about them? It might help, you know.”  
Franky stared into space for a minute before she replied, “Because I was top dog, I took care of myself, nobody expects someone…like me to have stupid nightmares. I’m out now, isn’t that all that should matter?”  
“Franky, you were in prison. And the fact that you were top dog for a while? That only put you at more risk of the horrible things that I know go on in that place. It’s been nearly six months, I worry if you don’t talk about it, you’ll have these nightmares forever.”  
Franky shrugged.  
Erica sighed in frustration but stayed quiet, not wanting to put any pressure on the other woman.  
“It’s just,” Franky stopped, clicking her tongue before sighing, “I know you run that place, Erica but the stuff that goes on… I mean, you know I pulled in the crystal meth, right? And not just that either,” she looked at Erica, who squeezed her hand reassuringly, “I don’t know. I did stuff…I made people…I threatened people, used people to get those drugs in. Blackmailed people. All for my own stupid gain, it was pathetic, it was horrible, I don’t…I’m a bad person,” Franky was annoyed at her lack of articulation on what she was trying to get out of her head.  
Erica got it though; she always did, “Franky, I know,” she squeezed Franky’s hand again, “Everybody’s done things they’re not proud of, look at all the shit I did to get where I am. Sure, I felt bad about it for a while, but I can’t dwell on that forever. I just do things differently now, we change. And you change every day,” Erica hesitated, “What do you dream about?”  
Franky shrugged, “I don’t know…,” she hesitated, “I hurt people, Erica. Landed people in medical, more than you know, I hardly ever went down for it. I mean, fuck, even with Bea, what if I’d tried to look out for her kid? I said to her, I actually said to her that her or her kid would end up dead – “  
“Franky, stop, stop,” Erica pulled the other woman into her shoulder, “You can’t blame yourself for that, it wasn’t your fault.”  
“What about Meg?” Franky asked quietly against Erica’s shoulder.  
Erica closed her eyes for a moment, “It was an accident, Franky,” she replied softly, “Honey, you can’t keep thinking about this stuff. Wentworth is your past now, I know that’s hard for you to comprehend but it is. You said it yourself, you’re out now, you need to begin your new life.”  
Franky pulled back, “Erica…I killed someone. I mean, sure I didn’t like her all that much but I never wanted to… I didn’t mean – “  
“Hey, I know. And you know that, isn’t that what’s important?”  
Franky wiped her eyes and nodded, “I guess. I just… I dream I stab her, and I can’t pull the shiv out, my hand just soaks in blood and I can’t move… Maybe I should have stayed with her. I left her to die alone.”  
“Franky, you can’t keep doing this to yourself,” Erica could see the pain, the guilt, on the other woman’s face, “I think you should talk to someone.”  
“I am talking…to you,” Franky said, eyes shining with tears.  
Erica smiled sadly, “I mean someone professional. To help stop the nightmares, I don’t know how to do that, I wish I did…”  
“I don’t want to get put on those medications,” Franky wiped her eyes and her nose.  
Erica hesitated, “Well maybe they’d help. Or maybe not, who knows? Just see what the doctor says, you can’t function like this, you’re exhausted.”  
Franky nodded, “I am. It’s hard you know, in prison I was important, I had status, power, now out here, the only people who know who I am are from that stupid tv show…”  
“And me,” Erica said, “You’re important to me. Why be important to a bunch of people you don’t know? They don’t matter, Franky, the rest of the world, just you,” she held Franky’s face in her hands, “and me. That’s it,” she kissed Franky softly on the lips, “I love you.”  
“I don’t know how…All the shit I’ve done, I don’t even deserve – “  
“Don’t say that, Franky. You deserve happiness, and I only hope I can help you with that,” she mumbled.  
“I love you too, Erica,” Franky said, lying back down on the couch and letting her eyelids flutter close as Erica touched her cheek and lay her body on top of Franky’s, who’s arm wrapped around her and played with her hair until the two women fell asleep.


End file.
